Out for Blood

Starring:Shallack, Delano, Ellinslea
Studio: Madacy Records
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

The first Hammer film I saw
Christopher Lee could replace his predecessor Bela Lugosi as Count
Christopher Lee...as Count Dracula
I Liked This One
BEST IN THE HAMMER DRACULA SERIES

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
Starring: Christopher Lee , Rupert Davies , Veronica Carlson , Barbara Ewing , and Barry Andrews
Director: Freddie Francis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Horror of Dracula
Dracula A.D. 1972
Dracula Prince of Darkness/The Satanic Rites of Dracula
Dracula - Prince of Darkness
Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)

ASIN: B0001FVE68
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Amazon.com

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is the third Christopher Lee Dracula film from Hammer Studios. While trying to rid the former Dracula's Castle of evil after the mysterious death of a local girl, the Monsignor inadvertently raises the dark prince from his deathly slumber. Once awaken from the grave, the parched prince only has one thing on his mind, the yummy taste of blood which he fiendishly extracts from the local maidens. Though a little weak in plot, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave still comes off as a strong vampire film, delivering the goods on the gothic visuals, eerie sets, and Lee's performance. --Rob Bracco

Description

When the niece of a prominent clergyman becomes Dracula's victim, the monsignor vows to put a stop to Dracula's deadly ways.

Customer Reviews:

The first Hammer film I saw.......2006-11-01

I was like 10/11 and it was on one of the old cable "superstations." I had always loved old monster movies, but this was like Dracula on speed for me as a kid. As I've grown, I have amassed a large Hammer film library and was delighted to see this out on DVD. It's easily one of my favorites. For the newcomer to Hammer films, they all move fairly 'liesurely' (read, 'slow') and are driven by lots of exposition. But, to me, that plus the settings, cinematography and high-class acting really gives the Hammer films a special class that other horror films severely lack. I recommend this one highly.

Christopher Lee could replace his predecessor Bela Lugosi as Count.......2006-09-26

Christopher Lee could balance and continue his charismatic predecessor Bela Lugosi(1882 - 1956) in the 60's Hammer british Dracula series.

This film is a great example for Lee as Count.

The differences are:
- Lugosi was more a theatrical Dracula from Broadway. Lugosi acted very elegant, exclusive & gentleman as a Dracula star. His charming style becomes a legend.
- Lee is more a mainstream Dracula star. He is not a theatre star like Lugosi did in 1931. He'd prefer a type of cold elegant beast. His style is less charming because he has to accustom himself into various directions in eight Dracula series.

Lugosi played as Dracula three times:
1. Dracula 1931
2. Return of the Vampire 1944
3. Mark of the Vampire 1935

Lee played as Dracula 8 times (see Filmography Imdb)

Frankly Bela Lugosi was a bit more charismatic than Christopher Lee, but Christopher Lee could balance the great charisma of his great predecessor.

Christopher Lee...as Count Dracula.......2006-07-28

I have watched this film several times in my adult life and find it impossible to put down. I still get a kick out of it when I watch it again...I am used to watching Christopher Lee acting as Count Dracula and have a good collection of films with him as the main actor. In the late 1950s to early 1960's the Hammer Film Production (Pine Studios) of England did a splendid job both in cinematograph and conveying the Gothic mood in their films of Dracula. Its choice of Christopher Lee was splendid because he just fitted in the role appropriately. Other scenes included the frightened villagers gathered in a tavern to drink beer and discussed in whispers about the terrifying powers of the Count; the sound of horses galloping down the deserted village road on a driverless carriage; the final dissolution of the Count's body into dust only to be resurrected again with a few drops of human blood by his bat companion; the Count himself engaging the lonely traveller in a prolong dialogue in the candle-lit hall of the castle; and he telling the traveller that he had earlier "eaten", then the distant crowing of a village rooster which was hint for the Count to rise up and go back to his stone coffin before struck by the sunlight were naturalistic atmosphere that only Hammer Film Productions had successfully interpretted in all its classic films on Dracula.

It would be a good idea to buy this film as a starter and then gradually collect the entire series. [...]

I Liked This One .......2006-02-16

The Only reason this one surpasses "Dracula - Prince of Darkness"
is that Dracula Actually Talks in this one also Veronica Carlson is so Beautiful I don't know why but i liked this better than
"Horror of Dracula" I hate that when these Dracula Movies end and go on to a new one the story from the last one is forgotten and Dracula sees new people and sees another girl and he dies again i dont look at these as Sequels i look at them as assorted
storys sort of like "The Adventures of Dracula" but anyway even though after "Horror" Christopher Lee hated Doing Dracula and Peter Cushing was'nt in most of them this is My Favorite One along with "Horror" and Dracula A.D. 1972

BEST IN THE HAMMER DRACULA SERIES.......2006-01-30

This film, the fourth of the Hammer Dracula Series (third with Christopher Lee), is in my opinion, the best. As a few other reviewers have noted, HORROR OF DRACULA seems to have maintained it's status as "Best vampire film" based on years of people believing it because some film critic once said so. Is it a bad film? No, it's quite good, but this one is better.

Why? Because the film has such a dark, gothic look and sound to it. Because the story is interesting in that it is the holy men of the church who set Dracula loose (one of them even becoming his henchman), while the unbelieving atheist sets out to save the day (or least save his girlfriend). Further, this film clearly demonstrated the fact that for all their faith, knowledge and effort the protagonists can't always do it alone. They need for the antagonist (Dracula) to make a fatal error or series of errors to bring about his own destruction. This time around, Dracula does just that, setting-up his own demise on the cross.

This DVD version comes with language selection, scene selection, and has good picture and sound. A must have addition for any fan of Hammer.

Average customer rating:

Campy Horror Film Falls Flat
Campy, Melodramatic and Completely Likeable!
what would Christopher Lee like to tell his opinion?
The original Cult Classic!
Blood for Dracula Was Ok................

Blood for Dracula
Starring: Joe Dallesandro , Udo Kier , Arno Juerging , Maxime McKendry , and Milena Vukotic
Director: Paul Morrissey
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Flesh for Frankenstein - Criterion Collection
Flesh
Trash
Paul Morrissey Collection (Flesh / Trash / Heat)
Heat

ASIN: B000A59Q46
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Amazon.com

Filming on Blood for Dracula began on location in Italy on the same day that filming of Flesh for Frankenstein ended, and knowing this enhances one's appreciation of director Paul Morrissey's delightfully twisted--and defiantly artistic--approach to violent, campy horror. Originally titled Andy Warhol's Frankenstein and Andy Warhol's Dracula, both films are blessed by Morrissey's opulent visual style (he and his Italian cinematographer worked wonders with modest budgets), and both showcase Udo Kier and the languorous hunk Joe Dallesandro in opposing roles. Here we find Udo Kier as Count Dracula, looking even more ashen than usual and desperate for the blood of virgins to restore his waning health. He travels to Italy and stays at the fading estate of a once-wealthy family, and the presence of four lovely, sexually inexperienced daughters turns out to be a recipe for disaster. It so happens that only the youngest daughter is actually a virgin, and by process of elimination Dracula discovers that non-virgin blood makes him violently ill! Dallesandro plays the resident handyman--handy in more ways than one, as the daughters have learned--who dares to protect the remaining virgin from the Count's bloodsucking exploits, and as usual director Morrissey finds ample opportunity to combine sex and gore with outrageous sensibility and logic of plot. As in the case of Flesh for Frankenstein, this Criterion Collection DVD restores the film to its original director's cut, presented in its original aspect ratio with a supplemental commentary by Morrissey, Kier, and critic Maurice Yacowar. Kier is particularly delightful, observing during one gruesome scene that "vomiting looks great when you've got a tuxedo on." --Jeff Shannon

Description

Paul Morrissey's brash mixture of humor, horror and sex is a bitingly funny satire of modern values--and a revelation to fans of the horror film. In "Blood for Dracula," the infamous count searches Italy for "pure" blood. Criterion presents the long-suppressed director's cut of this outrageous cult classic. "Presented" by Andy Warhol.

Customer Reviews:

Campy Horror Film Falls Flat.......2006-07-03

Even though originally titled, "Andy Warhol's Dracula", this film had very little to do with Andy Warhol. Udo Kier plays a count visitng Italy to satisfy his "special diet", i.e. "virgin blood." Though the royal family's daughters seem promising, Joe Dellesandro (who uses the Andy Warhol style of "non acting")is busy making them ineligible for the Count's requirements. The count's reaction to non virgin blood (in repeat scenes) has to be among the grossest scenes in film, next to the end of Pink Flamingos. Other than that, the movie wanders, the dialogue is dull, the political conflicts unnecesary (remember this was the 70's) and parts of it are closer to soft core porn or badly acted costume drama than horror. Though not as amazingly awful as "Sins of the Fleshapoids" or Ed Wood (who has a certain charm) Blood for Dracula will leave you scratching your head one moment and then turning it away from the screen the next.

Campy, Melodramatic and Completely Likeable!.......2006-03-11

I have absolutely fallen in love with this movie!! But I suspect that it's going to be one of those films that people either love or hate.

Udo Kier plays a Count Dracula, so corpse-pale and grey-haired that he has to apply makeup and dye his hair to appear human. Forget the usual representations of Dracula: there's absolutely nothing iconic about this pale, sickly, whiney fiend. He's not romantic, he's not scary, heck, he's not even proud. What he is, is delightfully campy. Can we say melodramatic overacting? It's a wonderful performance! I howled with laughter.

On the other side we have Joe Dallesandro playing servant Mario Balato (excuse me, worker, Mario is no one's servant). This character is certainly no hero. He spends the majority of his time rolling around in bed with Saphiria and Perla, two daughters of the house and ranting about the aristocracy and their eminent downfall. At the end of the movie, in order to "save" the youngest daughter from Dracula's bite, he releases her from her virginity by raping her. (something he states earlier in the movie, he has always wanted to do). For all the reasons you should absolutely hate this character, you can find another two reasons for loving him. The New York accent in the middle of the Italian villa, the constant sneer that seems perpetually plastered to his face, the way he tosses his hair around, and the muscles - good Lord, don't forget the muscles!! Let's face it, Mario is hot. (and doesn't he know it)

This movie is wonderful campy fun. It is not to be taken seriously. So if you want a serious vampire movie - go elsewhere. If you want a really fun, crazy romp with bad accents, over-acting and enough cheese to kill a rat, this is the movie for you.

Disclaimer: some soft-core porn scenes make this unsuitable for young viewers

what would Christopher Lee like to tell his opinion?.......2005-11-29

Dracula is described ill at the end of his day, he upchucks twice and brokes his own stomach cause he sucks the blood of non virgin maid. The role of Dracula & his acting are very weak, weak and weak. He cannot catch his own victims by himself.

what happen, if Christopher Lee (the grandest Dracula Actor) sees the weak film like this? he said that he seems not so enthusiastic as he watched another variation of Dracula.

Let's go to the old Hammer classic Movies with Christopher Lee as a Count.

The original Cult Classic!.......2005-09-29

In this companion piece to FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN, producer Antonio Margheriti has apparently taken more attention to the film's setting and tone rather than his previous collaborations with director Paul Morrissey, one of Andy Warhol's acolytes who is usually credited a "supervisory" function throughout their filmography. Kier's Dracula needs virginal blood the way alcoholics need a fix. Unable to find any fresh virgins in his native Romania, the emaciated Count and his servant Anton (Arno Juerging) travel to Italy in search of female virgins. They become guests of an impoverished family of Aristocrats who are presided over by Vittorio de Sica and Maxime McKendry. However the sex-crazed gardener (Joe D'Allesandro), who is prone to mouthing American undergraduate ideas of revolutionary slogans, infects the blood of all available women, including the 14 year old daughter. Starved of his fax Dracula collapses to a vomiting heap in the bathroom after sucking the "impure" blood, until he and his servant are exposed in a gloriously bloody ending I will not give away here.

The story is silly and filled with sexual motifs which inpolitically correctly suggesting woman as disgusting and terrifying. Director Morrissey does on occasion get away with many visual gags; most notably Dracula grooming himself before a mirror which casts no reflection, and his use of the decadent decor which ultimately saves the picture. This is one of those moves that is so bad it's fantastic. If not Udo Kier, acting honors would definitely go to Roman Polanski for his cameo as a belligerent peasant and Vittorio de Sica who is rather excellent in the role of the pompous, yet curiously mercenary-like Aristocratic patriarch.

The dialogue throughout the film is both nonsensical and hilarious. Here's my favorite "Perhaps you're right"...."Of course I am". Did YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN rip that off?

Blood for Dracula Was Ok.......................2005-06-19

To those of you who do not know this movie is going to be reissued in september my Image Entertainment. So do not pay these riduclous prices for this overrated movie. This movie was ok to be quite frank it was stupid and the characters did not have any depth,.To those of you who like bad acting Get this movie otherwise stay away.

Average customer rating:

Trail of Blood

Trail of Blood
Starring: Yoshio Harada , Katsuo Nakamura , Ryunosuke Minegishi , Etsuko Ichihara , and Ryoko Nakano
Director: Kazuo Ikehiro
Manufacturer: Animeigo
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Fearless Avenger
Slaughter in the Snow
Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor
Zatoichi: The Television Series, Vol. 5
Dora-Heita

ASIN: B000GNOH6E
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Description

Rival gangs are at war with one another, ravaging the countryside and slaughtering anyone who defies them. Unfortunately for them, they messed with the wrong guy.

When Jokichi, a famed wandering Yakuza soldier, tries to go straight, he quickly learns that you only leave the Underworld by getting sent to Hell!

After his fellow mobsters murder his entire family, he's got only one reason to keep on living... to ensure they keep on dying!

And the Kanto Plains are full of rats that need killin'!
In fact, there's three movies full of them!

DVD Features:
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen
English and Japanese with English Subtitles

Bonus Material Includes:
Image Galleries
Interactive Program Notes
Trailers

Run Time: 88 Minutes

Customer Reviews:

Trail of Blood.......2006-11-30

Animeigo stikes gold yet again. The company that gave us "Lone Wolf and Cub", "Lady Snowblood", and "Shadow Hunters", releases another winner with the unbelievably entertaining "Trail of Blood", the first installent in the Mikogami trilogy.

In medieval Japan, a member of the Yakuza (Japanese Mafia) decides to go straight. He marries a woman of ill repute and attempts to put his past behind him. I don't like to spoil the plot for anyone, so lets just say that his attempt at a domestic existence comes to a screeching halt. He embarks on a path of revenge which takes three films to complete.

Now, I haven't seen parts 2 and 3 yet, but if they're consistent with the quality of the 1st installment, then they're going to be great. Like the previously mentioned releases by Animeigo, this film features great acting and stunning cinematography. The story isn't terribly original (Kill Bill and A History of Violence are recent films with similar themes), but it works, and works beautifully. This film could easily be remade into an American gangster film with very little changes in the actual plot.

If you're a fan of bloody as hell Samurai action (you know who you are), or if you just like good movies that are different from the mainstream, then you're going to love this movie. Highly recommended!

Blood Reign - Curse of the Yoma (Essential Anime Collection)

Average customer rating:

You know an anime is bad when you forget that you have it!
better then average
Nubidu's Anime review
Unfulfilled promise...
Blood Reign

Blood Reign - Curse of the Yoma (Essential Anime Collection)
Director: Takashi Anno
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Wrath of the Ninja
Sin: The Movie
Doomed Megalopolis
Demon City Shinjuku
Ninja Resurrection

ASIN: B0001DCXSS
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Customer Reviews:

You know an anime is bad when you forget that you have it!.......2007-06-11

Blood Reign is one of the worst animes I own. Together with Ninja Resurrection and Spectral Force. This really is a godawful anime. To clarify one thing. I'm not even going to touch the animation because animation to me is the least factor when watching an anime. I say this anime sucks for the reasons I'm about to mention. First the story. What story? It opens with dead bodies everywhere full of stab wounds and arrows, then a bunch of monsters start tearing through the bodies. You get no back brief of the conflict. Its as if you already know whats happened. It talks about,"the innocent blood is spilled to feed the yoma". Wow it just told me a whole lot.
Then you have the plot. Which is boring as can be. The main character is after his childhood friend that stuck a shuriken in his eye and just left. So he's looking for revenge.

Character development is lame as all hell. The female ninja who is later introduced served no purpose whatsover except to cry and scream. The monsters and the battles with them is ok at best. And the situations that arise later make almost no sense. A guy gets blinded by a female ninja who was protecting herself from him. He blindly walks into the water. The sky starts to go crazy. Then a white horse with red eyes appears in the ocean. The main character says its an illusion. This illusion runs across the water, kills the man who was blinded, drinks some of the blood from the other dead men. Then kicks the main characters a**. Some illusion. Then Oda Nobunaga appears with his army and completely obliterates another clan. War over. You dont hear a peep from Nobunaga ever again.

The ending and the final battle wasn't really that great either. I'm sure this review sounds like a mindless rant but I can careless. Lately I have been trying very hard not to give out 1 star reviews and search very hard for the positives in an anime. But I really cant find any here. I see the reason now why I haven't watched this trash in 3 years. Skip this anime. Dont waste your 80 mins. watching this. You want to see ninjas? Check out Basilisk, Ninja Scroll or Wrath of the Ninja. You want a good story. Check out Princess Mononoke, Shura no Toki, or Samurai X. Dont walk, run from this anime.

better then average.......2005-08-26

Not perfect but, great mystery surrounds the whole movie because the Yoma are never fully explained. There could have been more conflict and fighting; this is no Vampire Hunter D or Ninja Scroll. The artwork is beautiful and the Yoma themselves are interesting, taking the forms of regular animals on earth and still containing their supernatural abilities.

Nubidu's Anime review.......2005-08-02

This movie blows. 2 episodes only - which will leave you uncertain about where this is going and where it all began.

Unfulfilled promise..........2004-11-15

Much in this production promised well, but alas this promise goes unfulfilled...
The film has a fairly strong sense of style that is kept up throughout, but is lacking in substance. The plain fact of the matter is that I was rather bored with it - from beginning to end. Yes, there were some good things, but these were just not enough to chase away the strong sense of ennui... which is remarkable considering that there is so much going on that really SHOULD have been interesting...

As just about all the othe reviews have mentioned, the animation is dated though it certainly must have seemed impressive at the time (which was only 1989 - surprising how much the average quality level of anime in general has gone up in the following decade).

In the sound department, there is a fairly nice stereo soundstage for the effects. The music on the other hand left much to be desired - including some unfortunate testaments to the quality of 80s synthesizers (may they rest in pieces!).

In conclusion, this effort was simply wanting. I would really rate it with two stars, but the seriousness of intent on the part of the makers that is so evident throughout earns them another star - albeit somewhat grudgingly.
If only they had been able to fully realize their vision..

Blood Reign.......2003-01-03

This Movie had good sound, thats it.

Average customer rating:

You know an anime is bad when you forget that you have it!
better then average
Nubidu's Anime review
Unfulfilled promise...
Blood Reign

Blood Reign - Curse of the Yoma
Director: Takashi Anno
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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Wrath of the Ninja
Sin: The Movie
Doomed Megalopolis
Demon City Shinjuku
Ninja Resurrection

ASIN: B000056MMA
Release Date: 2001-01-30

Customer Reviews:

You know an anime is bad when you forget that you have it!.......2007-06-11

better then average.......2005-08-26

Nubidu's Anime review.......2005-08-02

This movie blows. 2 episodes only - which will leave you uncertain about where this is going and where it all began.

Unfulfilled promise..........2004-11-15

Blood Reign.......2003-01-03

This Movie had good sound, thats it.

Average customer rating:

A fun,charming film from the old Horror master,Vincent Price.
"There are some very strange people practicing medicine these days."
It's not "Rises Again," but it'll do in a pinch.
Good Old Testament wrath
Kitsch but fun

The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Starring: Vincent Price , Joseph Cotten , Virginia North , Terry-Thomas , and Sean Bury
Director: Robert Fuest
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Dr. Phibes Rises Again!
Theatre of Blood
The Abominable Dr. Phibes/Dr. Phibes Rises Again!
The Masque of the Red Death / The Premature Burial
House of Wax

ASIN: B0000542CL
Release Date: 2001-02-20

Amazon.com

This unusually beautiful horror classic features Vincent Price in the title role of Dr. Anton Phibes, a genius who specializes in organ music, theology, and concocting bizarre deaths for anyone who wrongs him. Discovering why is half the fun, so for now let's just say that Phibes is a little mad and very, very angry. With his assistant, the lovely, silent Vulnavia, Phibes begins cutting a gory swath through London's medical community, with the dogged Inspector Trout hot on his tail. Phibes contains many pleasures--exquisite art direction and a dark sense of humor among them--but the real treat is in watching an old pro like Price at work. Whether he's playing his organ, staring down a victim, or drinking through his neck, Price is at the top of his game. He mixes dark menace with wry comic touches, revealing both Phibes's maniacal obsession and offhanded confidence in his own genius. Settle in for an evening of elegant gore and if an attractive, mute deliverywoman comes to the door, whatever you do--don't answer! --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

A fun,charming film from the old Horror master,Vincent Price. .......2006-09-11

The plot seems like a chilling hodge-podge, from all the horror flicks,of the old Hollywood.Paying tribute to the Spook-Greats,like Lon Chaney and Karloff.It's a fun film to watch ,if you're a Vincent Price fanatic.His Corman-Edgar Allen Poe films are still gems for all Horror film buffs.This Dr.Phibes film is in the twilight of Vincent's career ,yet still as sweet, as a dry sherry , on any misty autumn evening.

"There are some very strange people practicing medicine these days.".......2006-06-29

Billed as Vincent Price's 100th feature film, The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) is one of my more favored Price features, right up there with House of Wax (1953), The Fly (1958), and House on Haunted Hill (1959). Directed by Robert Fuest ("The Avengers", Dr. Phibes Rises Again), the film stars, as I've mentioned, Merchant of Menace himself Vincent Price. Also appearing is Virginia North (Deadlier Than the Male, On Her Majesty's Secret Service), Joseph Cotten (Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Soylent Green), Terry-Thomas (It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines), Peter Jeffrey (Countess Dracula, The Odessa File), and Caroline Munro (At the Earth's Core, The Spy Who Loved Me), in an uncredited, but pivotal role.

Price plays Dr. Anton Phibes, a man of many talents (music, theology, engineering, etc.), and one believed to be dead. Official reports claim he perished in a fiery car crash while rushing to his wife Victoria's side while she was undergoing an operation in which she subsequently died. Well, turns out Phibes didn't cash out (he was merely disfigured), and during the years after his wife's passing he's been in hiding, using his wealth and genius to plot revenge on those he deemed responsible for his wife's death, specifically the medical staff who were involved in her operation (there were nine...seems like an awful lot of people to be involved in a medical procedure at the same time but whatever...hey, at least it provides for a decent body count). With the help of his always fashionably dressed (and silent) assistant Vulnavia (North), Phibes sets into motion a series of methodical and diabolical murders, each one more cunning than the last, all based the ten curses visited upon the pharaohs during exodus, as detailed in the old testament. I won't divulge the specifics of each murder as not to spoil the fun here, but they all of a seriously gruesome and macabre nature (here's a few hints...boils, hail, blood, locusts, rats, frogs, and so on). After the first few deaths the police, specifically Inspector Trout (Jeffrey), begin to suspect the same individual is responsible, and their investigative efforts lead them to Dr. Vesalius (Cotten), who happened to be the lead surgeon during Victoria's operation. Trout and Vesalius eventually discern the possible identity of the madman (a search of Phibes' crypt raises more questions than it answers), but that doesn't stop the deceased from accumulating in one fantastic death sequence after another. As Inspector Trout suffers the indignities of his supervisors for his inability to not only catch the killer but also in protecting the potential victims (a few get it while under police guard), the cunning and elusive Phibes seems to be saving the best for last in terms of Vesalius, given the fact he views Vesalius as the person most responsible for Victoria's demise.

This is one of those films I watch about once a year as I really enjoy it, specifically the seemingly lavish production values, ornate costumes, macabre nature of the story, along with all the subtle comic touches, many of them provided by Price himself. During one death sequence involving Terry-Thomas' character, we see the victim at home, enjoying some libations while watching an arousing feature on an old timey projector (a scantily clad woman dancing around with a snake...apparently that was pretty risqué for the mid to late 1920s, the time which the story place). After Phibes dispatches Thomas' character in typically horrific fashion, he takes his leave but not before stopping to view a large picture on the wall, one featuring some Rubenesque, half nekkid individuals cavorting in the foreground and one that elicits as distasteful expression from Phibes, apparently finding the aesthetics objectionable. I've always been partial to Vincent Price's films, as he's entertaining to watch, especially when he `camps' it up, as is the case here (he seemed to never have any illusions about the movies he appeared in, only an inherent desire to entertain and give audiences their money's worth). His character here suffered great disfigurement, forcing him to don obvious facial prosthetics throughout nearly the entire film (we get a couple of great shots near the end of Phibes without, and he's truly scary looking). Another aspect of his past injury is he can't speak in normal fashion, having to utilize a plug in the side of his neck that attached to various speaker devices, allowing him to express himself verbally...somewhat. He's a very hands on type of individual, and while there are certain aspects where he requires assistance, he seems to prefer to handle the brunt of his dirty work on his own. Despite his penchant for morbid activity, it's hard not to like the character given his positive qualities (he's meticulous, detail oriented, intelligent, has an eye for fashion, charming when he wants to be, a devoted husband, and so on). Sure he likes to kill the occasion individual in a particular horrific manner, but he does it with flair and a real sense of showmanship and ingenuity, and he only takes the lives of those he sees as truly deserving. As far as the rest of the cast I thought they all did very well, especially Peter Jeffrey who played the beleaguered Inspector Trout (his superiors often mistakenly referred to him as Pike, as if they had enough to deal with without having to remember such a triviality as his name...get it? Trout, Pike...whatever). His character was obviously intended as a sort of comic foil, but he didn't come off as a bumbling, incompetent fool to me (the brass unicorn bit was a beaut), just someone trying to play catch up with a villain who was out of his league (remember, Phibes had years to plan his revenge). As far as I can tell, Cotten was the only one playing it serious throughout the movie, almost as if someone forgot to let him in on the gag. Ah well, there's usually a requirement for a straight man with material like this, and he fits the bill well. Another aspect I really liked was the ending, capped off by an oddly appropriate instrumental version of `Over the Rainbow'.

The picture quality, presented in widescreen (1.85:1), enhanced for 16 X 9 TVs, looks very clean and clear, and the Dolby Digital mono audio, available in English, Spanish, and French, comes through very well. The only extra included is an original theatrical trailer. Price would reprise the role of Phibes again a year later in Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972). While an entertaining sequel, it's not as good as the original most likely due to speed in which the second feature was cranked out, most likely the intent being to capitalize as quickly as possible on the enormous popularity of the first...the result akin to something not cooked all the way through (i.e. half baked), but it's still entertaining and worthwhile if you enjoyed the first film.

Cookieman108

A note for those interesting in picking up this film up on DVD...both The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr. Phibes Rises Again were originally released onto DVD individually, but then later re-released paired together as a DVD double feature, so if you're interested in owning both, try to locate the dual release, as it might be a better value (depending on availability, or course).

It's not "Rises Again," but it'll do in a pinch........2006-06-29

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (Robert Fuest, 1971)

I have to make a confession that will probably scandalize most film snobs; I've always preferred the sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, to The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Still, this one is not without its charm.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes was on the cutting edge of extreme horror back in the early seventies. It was almost unspeakably graphic for its time, and even today, in this age of high-tech CGI horror, it still has the power to startle on a fairly regular basis. Phibes (played by the immortal Vincent Price) is a concert organist who was horribly disfigured in an auto accident in which his wife was killed. Phibes sets out to exact revenge on the nine people he considers responsible for his wife's death, finding extraordinary and yet appropriate ways to kill each that mirror the plagues of the old testament.

It's pretty obvious that, while the structure and plot have nothing to do with Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead, the guys who came up with this had watched that movie a whole lot of times beforehand. The in-your-face gore attitude was exclusive to Romero in Western cinema at this point; the gialli hadn't quite caught on yet, and Argento's films from this period are, compared to his later work, positively restrained. (Fulci was still doing Westerns at this point.) As well, the ending, which can be categorized at the time as "anti-Hollywood," is also straight out of the Romero playbook. Phibes' singleminded obsession with his goal is also Romero-like, in a way, though it also traces back to the classic noir films of the forties and fifties. (One could also draw a parallel between Vincent Price being in The Last Man on Earth, based on Richard Matheson's brilliant novel I Am Legend, and Romero and Russo also using that novel as a basis for Night of the Living Dead, but that would probably be stretching the point, wouldn't it?) It's great to see the same basic thematic structure coming to fruition in two entirely different films and both of them being worthwhile.

Price plays his role with an odd kind of enthusiastic detachment, which is exactly what it requires. His supporting cast is a bit more anemic, but are, at least, never less than amusing. Joseph Cotten, as one of Phibes' potential victims, is the real wild card here; he's normally a wonderful actor, and it's impossible to disguise his quality here, but he still seems out-of-place, almost lost in the role. Still, he does the best he can with it.

The movie's true draw, though, is its weirdness. It's the kind of thing that makes you wonder what everyone involved was smoking at the time they came up with it, and whether you can get some on short notice. It's like the crew that made all those great, cheesy Hammer flicks suddenly discovered the magic of LSD. It's a lot of fun, but as Dr. Phibes Rises Again shows, it was still something of a diamond in the rough; it's almost as if they'd gone too far out on the bleeding edge, and weren't exactly sure what to do with themselves when they got out there. Once they'd refined the ideas and gotten some firm ground under their feet, they made the second movie and really delivered the goods. Still, this movie is a good deal of fun. If you're a fan of the second and have never seen this-- which doesn't seem to get as much screen time on the movie channels as does the sequel-- it's definitely worth checking out. *** ½

Good Old Testament wrath.......2006-06-24

In the spirit of "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" fumbling doctors get what is coming to them.

While Dr. Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) was out of the country a nine person medical team fumbled an operation on his wife. Dr. Phibes dies in a car crash. So why these are doctors dying and is there a pattern?

Dr. Vesalius (Joseph Cotton), who lead the team as chief surgeon, takes part in the discovery and attempted prevention of a plot of biblical ok Talmudic proportion.

Campy fun with a gory attitude his is destined to be a cult classic.

This movie gives new meaning to the term phib'er arts.

Kitsch but fun.......2005-05-28

David Pirie ,writing in his book " A Heritage of Horror ;the Engish Gothic Cinema 1946-1972 " ,is scathing about this movie calling it " the worst horror film made in England since 1946 "
Nonsense ,Mr Pirie -just plain nonsense !
This is certainly a movie that is campy to the hilt and will not appeal to those who like their horror played straight but it is also an imaginative ,controlled and highly stylised work that while improbable is also ingenious .
Vincent Ptrive plays the eponymopus Phibes ,once an acclaimed organist whose wife died in an automobile accident during which he was himself seriously disfigured .He blames the surgical team working on his wife for her subsequent death and sets out to wreak vengeance upon them -but it is to be no common revenge .It is to be one patterned on the plagues of Egypt ,visited by God on the Egyptiand prior to the Exodus .Thus various team members die by rats ,locusts,frogs ,boils and bats etc .Phibes is assisted by his mute aide the exquisite and beautiful Vulnavia ,played by Virginia North .The police investigation is in the hands of the dogged Peter Jeffrey who is simply unable to persuade his superiors of the identity or motivation of the true killer .One man who does believe him is Dr Vesalius , a memeber of the surgical team whi is the target of Phibes'last and most devious revenge -he must operate on his own son and remove a key from his chest before acid from an overhead container is released and destroys the child's face ,as Phibes' was destroyed .
Price is wonderful -stlish and stylised and he relishes the excesses of the role -playing the organ demoniacally before each killing ,accompanied by an orchestra of automatons
Robert Fuest ,who directed ,knew campy humour cutting his teeth as he did on The Avengers TV series and he is assisted by the art deco sets of Bernard Reeves and designer Brian Eatwell .
This is a kitschy homage to the sillier horror movies of the 1930's and its wonderful fun -if you are not too po-faced about the genre

Vampires - Out for Blood (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

Good B-Movie hooey
0.5 STARS: Very amusing.
OK Vampire Flick
Too Expensive for nn OK Movie that is far less than it could have been!
OUT FOR CLICHÉS

Vampires - Out for Blood (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Kevin Dillon , Vanessa Angel , Jodi Lyn O'Keefe , Lance Henriksen , and Kenneth Colom
Director: Richard Brandes
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006JMLUW
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Customer Reviews:

Good B-Movie hooey.......2007-05-31

After looking at some of the other reviews posted here, I wondered what do people really expect from a b-movie? B-movies are supposed to be fun and sometimes campy. But it seems some take things a little too seriously when it comes to a b-movie.

Being a vampire film, Vampires--Out For Blood immeadiately sets it boundaries around basic vampires lore...no relections, fear of the sun, stakes, etc. and proceeds into a typical tale of a guy mistakenly left alive after a vampire attack only to begin the transformation. There is nothing new in this movie, but it's all done with a sence of fun and energy. Lance Hendricksen turns in a very good preformance as the police captain.
Nothing ever really gets scary and it all seems to have been made tongue-in-cheek.

A fun b-movie romp that does just what a movie should do of this type: entertain

0.5 STARS: Very amusing........2006-07-09

"Vampires-Out for Blood" is not a good vampire movie, and certainly not a good horror movie. Kevin Dillon stars as a Detective who gets bitten by a vampire. He tries to resist the onset of vampirism. His ex-wife tries to help him, but her agenda is obscure to say the least. Basically, Kevin Dillon's character, Hank, attempts to find the head-vampire to kill him so that he can go back to normal. "Out for Blood" is a pathetic attempt at a horror movie or a vampire movie in my opinion. First, there is nothing scary about this flick...PERIOD! Yeah, you do get some fairly graphic kills in this movie, but that's not enough to make a good horror movie. "Out for Blood" has no style and no substance. The vampires look VERY LAME in my opinion, and the acting was atrocious in this flick!! I like Lance Henrikson and he did fine in his performance...so did Kevin Dillon I thought, but after that, there was a bunch of garbage no-name actors that were absolutely horrible, especially the actress that played the ex-wife, Susan. Also, the actors that played the vampires were pathetic to say the least. Now don't get me wrong, as I said in the title, this movie is very amusing, but it's not scary or horrifying in the slightest. If you find this movie scary, you must be an extraordinary wuss.

OK Vampire Flick.......2006-05-16

There's been quite a few vampire movies realeased in the past few years. Some are good(Blade, John Carpenter's Vampires), some are bad(The Horror Within, American Vampire) but Vampires: Out for Blood falls right in the middle.
It's got a decent B movie cast(Kevin Dillon & Lance Henricksen being the standouts) and a fairly typical but serviceable plotline(burned out cop searching for missing teen runs afoul of a group of vampires). Unfortunately nothing makes this film rise above the mass of other vampire films out there.
If you're compelled to see every vampire movie available, then I doubt you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a new horror classic... keep looking. You're not gonna find it here.

Too Expensive for nn OK Movie that is far less than it could have been! .......2005-11-20

This is an OK movie on a bad day I have even called it lame. Having just seen the movie on SCI-FI this weekend made me revisit my way too hard opinion of this movie. Oh trust me it is still not a master work of vampire fiction to say the least but, I have seen much worse than this. Dracula 3000 springs immediately to mind. Compared to Dracula 3000, this Vampires - Out for Blood (Widescreen Edition) DVD is Oscar Worthy high art.

This vampire story has a well developed plot more than I can say about some really bad DVD's. I do not know how they managed it but ever one of the characters in this movie has a flakey aspect to their on screen persona that makes them feel unreal at best or slightly unhinged at worse. The fact that all the people in the DVD come across as slightly cracked bothered me at first because, it made the process of suspending logic to get into the movie more of a chore.

Seeing the movie this weekend taught me I was taking the movie too seriously. This movie is not one of those "Serious Vampire Thrillers". There is a very subtle well executed vein of comedy running throughout this movie for those sensitive enough to the human condition to detect it. Granted the weirdest humor in this movie is so slight it is barely discernable, it took me three viewings to catch the hidden humor in this film but it is for sure there.

Yes the cop hunting the vampires was an amazing lush. His ex-wife was played to ditzy California perfection from the very beginning of the film to its end. The king of the Vampires was a special effect that only the Irwin Allen super elastic bubble plastic monster designers guild could be proud of. I kind of liked the main character in the movie exactly because he was imperfect and sort of tragic in so many ways. The ending of this movie was particularly hilarious and I would not dare spoil it for you chaps here. Taken as a humorous but frightening flick this DVD deserves 3 to three and a half stars.

A more realistic king of the vampire's tighter more believable character development and in some cases slightly better writing would have made this a pretty good vampire movie. The core storyline was awesome it just was not carried out well as it could have been. All things considered it is NOT a bad DVD at all. Now that I have experienced some really bad Vampire movies I have revised my rating on this one to 3 well deserved stars. Is this the best vampire movie NO, but on a day when you just want to watch something mildly funny and scary this DVD fits the need to a T. I might be adding this DVD to my collection soon; it is way pricey for a merely average B-Movie but seeing how subtly funny this thing this past weekend has pushed me towards buying a copy before it goes out of print.

Best wishes to yawl from, WOLFY

OUT FOR CLICHÉS.......2005-06-22

Oh, what this movie could have been. Despite all of its big efforts, the end-result is still an uninspiring stereotypical take on vampirism. Kevin Dillon (little bro of Matt) plays a down on his luck cop who one night encounters blood-sucking vampires. He of course has a hard time convincing his boss, but not his best-selling author of the fangs ex-wife who helps him face evil. No surprises, no scares, no talent (except for Lance Henriksen as the boss cop and Jodi Lyn O'Keefe as the party girl vampire) help make OUT FOR BLOOD almost a totally D.O.A. experience. The entire production fails to deliver one slight of originality. From the automatic-pilot script to the brain-dead performance of Vanessa Angel (the ex-wife) to the awful-looking creature effects. Yet OUT FOR BLOOD has a sleek direction that includes a well-choreographed carousal of vampires/mortals flesh in an abandoned building. Richard Brandes may still have a career as a director if he wisely picks out his next project and stays away from the writing credits.-----Martin Boucher

Average customer rating:

Insanity and psychedellia!!!!
UNRELENTING HORROR (and that ain't a compliment)
As lousy as this movie is-
It seems they have it confused with another movie...
A wonderful timecapsule, but only for a specific audience.

Dracula vs. Frankenstein
Starring: Forrest J Ackerman , John Bloom (III) , William Bonner , Regina Carrol , and Lon Chaney Jr.
Manufacturer: TROMA ENTERTAINMENT INC.
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000056HPI
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Description

Cult director Al Adamson brings The kings of horror together in one film - they meet in a fight of fright! Judith Fontaine (Regina Carrol) is looking for her sister Joanie, who has apparently disappeared into the hippie community of Venice, California. As it turns out, Joanie has become the victim of Groton (Lon Chaney Jr.), an axe-wielding homicidal maniac. Dr. Durray (J. Carrol Naish), the last of the Frankensteins' bloodline, is now running a house of horrors by the beach and has been performing experiments on Groton's victims. One night, Count Dracula (Zandor Vorkov) visits the doctor, showing him the original Frankenstein creation that was buried in a nearby graveyard. With Dracula's help, the doctor painstakingly revives Frankenstein, and uses it to take revenge on his professional rivals. This entry in Troma Team Video's Al Adamson collection comes with a commentary track by producer Sam Sherman and a featurette "Producing Schlock."

Customer Reviews:

Insanity and psychedellia!!!!.......2007-02-05

I too remember seeing this on television around 1979 or 80. I was just a kid and to me a title like "Dracula vs.
Frankenstein" conjured images of Glenn Strange battleing John Carradine in glorious Black and White.
Boy was I shocked!!! This is closer to a hippie drug festival than any of Universals monster classics.
It completely shattered my image of what a Frankenstein/Dracula movie could be. My mind was blown but good.
I HATED IT!!! Guess what? 30 years later I love it. I realize now that director Al Adamson had a good excuse
for the state of this film. He made it for no money. Unlike Ed Wood, Adamson had the ability to make inteligent choices in his direction, His only limitations were budget and the culture of the time. The Hippie Dippy 70s were not exactly the best era to be making gothic horror. At least Sam Sherman (producer) and Adamson tried.
And, considering the odds were not just against them, but stabbing them in the gut, they succeded.
Is Al Adamson a better director than Wood? Of course he is. Al had much more adversity to conquer than Ed Wood. Adamson was tryingto make a contemporary hollywood competitor with a time limit and meeting the demands of his distributers. Ed Wood was trying to make 1930's hollywood quality films on his own unending
schedule (sometimes taking years to complete).
Consider this: Ed Wood decided to make an alien invasion film based around footage of Bela Lugosi walking around dressed as Dracula. Thats just completely moronic! He had fotage of Lugosi as Dracula and decided not to make a gothic monster movie but a space age sci fi epic with flying saucers. A tragic waste. He could have made a Dracula movie and had a genuine classic on his hands. Think of it: Lugosi's last film and hes playing Dracula, his greatest role. Sorry folks, Al Adamson was John Huston compared to Wood.

UNRELENTING HORROR (and that ain't a compliment).......2006-05-08

It was always a secret ambition of mine to be a movie trailer announcer during the heyday of drive-in cinema. I loved those bombastic voices carrying on about the cheesy movies as though it were the end of time. So I thought I would couch my review of this '71 "classic" in just those terms:

A FILM TO CURE INSOMNIA!

A NEW DEFINITION 0F HORROR

A FILM OF SUCH QUALITY AS TO MAKE ED D. WOOD APPEAR COMPETENT!

It's....DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN!

WATCH THE HORROR OF B MOVIE ACTORS NEAR DEATH AS THEY TRY TO BREATHE ONE LAST DESPERATE BREATH INTO THEIR ALREADY FORGOTTEN CAREERS!

LISTEN TO J. CARROLL NAISH'S DENTURES CLICK!

WATCH LON CHENEY WITH A BAD HAIRCUT KISS A PUPPY!

SEE FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND EDITOR FORRY ACKERMAN
HUGGED TO DEATH BY AN ACTOR WITH A GOAT-CHEESE OMLET ON
HIS FACE!

BEHOLD AL ADAMSON CONFUSE DAY FOR NIGHT! A TRICK POSSIBLE
ONLY BY THE GREATEST AUTUERS SUCH AS WOOD, HAAS, AND
HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS!

LISTEN AS COUNT DRACULA SPEAKS IN CONSTANT WALL OF SOUND
REVERB THAT WOULD TURN PHIL SPECTOR GREEN WITH ENVY!

WATCH THE PHONY MONSTER FIGHT AS DRAC SHREDS FRANK LIKE
A NANDINA BUSH!

It's...DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN!

Coming soon to a DVD bargain bin near you.

As lousy as this movie is-.......2006-03-03

-it scared the crap outta me as a kid when Dr. Shock aired it in the 70s (WPHL - Philadelphia). I miss that show. :(

It seems they have it confused with another movie..........2006-01-29

This version of Dracula VS Frankenstein is not to be confused with the 1971 J. Carroll Nash version with Lon Chaney. The other reviews on this page have it wrong! This version, starring Michael (the day the earth stood still) Rennie and The european wolfman Paul Naschey has space aliens trying to take over the world by resurrecting the planets most horrifying monsters, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man and the mummy. Once alive the plan is to break earthman's will and conquer the planet. The acting is certainly very poor (except for the great Paul Naschey a.k.a Valdimar Daninsky a.k.a the Wolf Man) and the make-up on frankenstein looks like a child did it. It does have that campy , cheesy feel about it and those who are fans of B horror will get their fill. As for the title though, i don't think that Dracula ever does fight Frankenstin!

A wonderful timecapsule, but only for a specific audience........2005-09-20

Dracula Vs. Frankenstein was a movie from Independent International Pictures, with Sam Sherman acting as Producer, and long time friend and companion Al Adamson working as Director. The movie actually went through numerous changes before finally becoming Dracula Vs. Frankenstein. The original script didn't even have Dracula or Frankenstein in it!

Dracula (Zandor Vorkov, who's real name is Roger Engle) find's the body of the Frankenstein Monster in a cemetary (in California ?!). He brings the body to the wheelchair-bound Dr. Frankenstein (J. Carrol Nash, once famous character actor) who owns a spookhouse at a carnival. Dracula hopes that the Dr.'s "blood serum" will render him invulnerable, and in exchange give's him the Monster so that He may get revenge on the Dr. who crippled him (that Dr. is played by Forry Ackerman). Dr. Frankenstein also has a lab assistant, Groton (Lon Chaney Jr. in his final role), who when injected with the blood serum becomes a viscious axe murderer, killing love-makers near a beach! He's also aided by a midget called Grasbo, played by Angelo Rossito! One of his victims is the sister of busty blonde night club performer Judith Fontaine (Regina Carrol, Al Adamson's wife),who decides to take matters into her own hands and look for her sis, when the cops prove useless. However, she gets entangled in a horrifying web of monsters, hippies, and Russ Tamblyn, who looks like he's just waiting for his weed. Finally they stumble upon Dr.F and all is revealed. Groton is killed by the chief of police (Jim Davis), Grasbo falls on an axe, and Dr. Frankenstein's head is chopped off! Judith is kidnapped by Dracula and the Monster, and her love interest is melted by the fierce power of Dracula's ring (a very cheesy, but cool, effect). The Monsters carry her to an old church, and bind her, and her boobs, too a chair. Dracula lights some candles and prepares to have her "join him in the world of the undead", but he wasn't counting on the Monster's love for cleavage, and the viscious brute strikes Dracula with a chair (very funny, because it looks like it hurt, and there were obviously no stunt men)! Frankie knocks his ring off and chases Dracula into the woods. They then battle in day for night photography that is too dark. Finally Drac tears the Monster apart piece by piece, ripping his arms and his head off. Drac rushes back to his coffin, but the sun comes up and Dracula is fried, turning his face into a $0.75 halloween mask! Judith breaks free of the ropes, and after a nice close-up of her cleavage, she leaves and the movie ends! Wow.

Yes, there are two Dracula Vs. Frankensteins, but this is the "real" one. The other DvF is actually Assignment Terror, a Paul Naschy Hombre Lobo vehicle, where all the horror heavyweights battle it out, when they are ressurected by an alien played by Michael Rennie. It was retitled DvF for the American market in 1969....or '70, I think. Naschy is one of my all time faves, but this is about I.I.P.'s Dracula Vs. Frankenstein!

Lon Chaney Jr., and J. Carrol Nash worked together many times before, but most notably in House of Frankenstein!

There are many references to Son of Frankenstein in Dracula Vs. Frankenstein. Names and dialouge. Forrest J. Ackerman plays Dr. Bomont, which was the name of the crooked doctor in Son of Frankenstein. Also, the idea of having Dracula tear Frankenstein apart "piece by piece just as Frankenstein created him" is also mentioned in Son of Frankenstein.

Unfortunatly, Al Adamson was murdered a couple years ago by a man hired to work on his house. His body was discovered inside the cement pool foundation! And this was only a short time after Regina Carrol died of cancer. Al spent all his time and money fighting her inevitable passing, a fight no one could have one.The world has lost two wonderful entertainers...

Thankfully, all of Al's movies are now widely available on DVD for all fans of B-cinema to enjoy. But be warned these movies are dated, and a younger or more modern, or simply ignorant audience, will NOT appreciette them. Their loss, cause these are some very fun movies, and Dracula Vs. Frankenstein is easily one of the best of them!

Average customer rating:

The Executioner
Starring: Wu Ma , Jimmy Wang Yu , Chin Siu Ho , and Joey Wong
Director: Ting Shan Si
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000I2J6X2
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Description

From the director of One Armed Swordsman and Master of the Flying Guillotine!

A royal executioner famed for beheading 998 convicts with a solid-gold axe is stalked by the lone survivor of the notorious "Eight Devilish Mortals," claiming the life of his wife and beginning a perilous game of cat-and-mouse packed with sword-swinging, high-flying action that will dazzle the most hardened martial arts fan!

Description

Welcome to Tokyo 2009 where ruthless gangsters are pushing a new designer drug called `Blood Heat.' The highly addictive narcotic is a sinister steroid that gives people super strength with a slight adverse side effect- it induces a murderous rage and drives them to kill! When Joe (Kane Kosugi), a US Navy Seal, and a Japanese detective, join forces to stop the circulation of Blood Heat, they find themselves as contestants in an extreme underground martial arts `fight club' run by the Yakuza and hidden inside the infamous "Muscle Dome." When Blood Heat is pumped into the fighter's veins they transform them into vicious, unstoppable fighting machines chemically programmed to annihilate their opponents!

Customer Reviews:

2nd reviewer got it right, I felt absolutely nothing.......2006-06-06

Luckily though, this movie has some of the most kick ass fight scenes I have seen in a long time. Kane Kosugi is certainly someone to look out for. Ken Lo did look a bit slow, but just so you know, his and jackie's legs on the close ups are slightly sped up for DM 2. But anyway, Lo looks really really good in this. Add in a fat guy who can SERIOUSLY fight(not the blonde guy, though I am sure he is a real fighter), and a final fight that will blow you away, it adds up to a flick that is AT LEAST worth a rental(if you can). But there I go mentioning the final fight, AWESOME, until the end of it. One word to describe it------dissapointment. That is the only word to describe it. Then they have the nerve to put a make it seem justified by making you think that you should have cared about the characters. What? Am I supposed to just now believe we are in in this futuristic world even though they don't even freaking dwell on it for more than 2 total minutes? And then throw in a spectacualr final fight with a dissapointing ending. You have a 3 star movie. A cool 3 starrer, but nothing more.

Picture is widescreened and near perfection. Sound is 2-channel and good with good subtitles. The extras are plentiful with GREAT behind the scenes stuff, this actually almost caused me to give the movie a 4. IMHO-the director had no idea what he was doing. It also has a couple other cool featurettes you will like.

5/5 for the dvd release itself.

But again, this movie is dissapointing and i have to make at least one more point why. And I can't name all my problems with this movie, so I will put in the one that it is fitting to the title. Blood Heat, they didn't really exlpain this so I will have to make a guess at it. It makes you stronger?

Dissapointment.
Dissapointment big time!!!!!
Dissapointment on many levels!!!!!!!!!!
Dissapointment.

Like father, like son........2005-12-06

With the news of Jet Li's intention to retire from martial arts movies, it seems that candidates to be his successor are popping up all over the world. In Thailand, Tony Jaa has shown fantastic promise with ONG BAK and TOM YUM GOONG. In France, his KISS OF THE DRAGON co-star Cyril Raffaelli strutted his stuff in the french flick BANLIEUE 13. And in Japan, Kane Kosugi, son of Ninja film legend Sho Kosugi, takes his shot a martial arts stardom with BLOOD HEAT and comes out a winner.

U.S. Navy Seal Joe Jinno (Kane Kosugi) is released from an American military detention center to the decrepit Tokyo of 2009 as an agent recruited by the Japanese government to bust drug traffickers. The most popular drug is an extrmely addictive steroid known as Blood Heat. Drug lords, hiding out in the worst parts of Tokyo, push their products while running a no-rules combat circuit where fighters, high on Blood Heat battle to the death. Joe's partner Aguri Katsuragi (Sho Aikawa) is captured by drug lord Kenji Rai (Masaya Kato)and forced to fight in the circuit against Blood Heat addict Lee Son-min (Ken Lo). He's brutally killed and Joe vows revenge. While Kenji attempts to force a scientist to manufacture more Blood Heat, Joe allies himself with Aguri's daughter and a group of orphaned children known as "Sewer Rats" and they declare war on the drug lord and his operation.

Let me just say that I, for one, am glad that drug dealers have finally made a name for a drug that can be an apprpriate action movie tittle. Kane has some of the fastest moves put on film.
He seems to always be attacking his opponents from every direction, and is able to deliver more punches in a split second than you can possibly count.

Several matches are worthy some karate oscar award. The hallway fight, which begins with Kane turning a corner and hurling two knives down the hall, is mind-blowing, and may be the the only scene since the original POLICE STORY to shatter so much glass. Kane's lenghty cage match with Ken Lo, who is aging but nevertheless can kick with the best of them, provides some of the best action. Kane's aggression in this scene is unparalled by any other fight in BLOOD HEAT.
The final match between Kane and Masaya Kato, of DRIVE fame, is also well done, and, to quote kungfucinema.com, "may be the first time in film history that two screen fighters duel with sledgehammers."
BLOOD HEAT ranks up with other great Japanese martial arts movies as THE PRINCESS BLADE and is fully worthy of repeated viewing. Kane's stepping out from his father's shadow mirrors Brandon Lee stepping out of Bruce's shadow and making a few great movies of his own before his tragic death (RAPID FIRE being the best one.) Kane may be new to having the lead in a martial arts movie, but if BLOOD HEAT is an indication of anything, it's of Kane's ability to carry an action movie.

UBER GODLIKE.......2005-08-19

BUY THIS MOVIE AND WATCH THE ULTIMATE FIGHTING GOODNESS.I GOT TIRED TIRED OF WATCHING AMERICAN MADE CRAP!THIS ROCKS LIKE A GOD SO BUY OR GET OWNED!!!!

A very good contemporary martial arts film!!.......2005-07-03

I really got this film based totally on some really good reviews I read online. I never saw a Japanese martial arts film before and I also have never heard of Kane Kosugi so I wasnt sure of what to expect. Man am I glad that I bought this movie!! The story involves a typical drug plot where there is a harmful designer drug called blood heat and its messing people up blah blah blah. I actually think the story wasnt the greatest but lets be honest why we all watch these movies, for the action/fight scenes. Kane is by far one of the fastest and most athletic martial artists today which is suprising considering this is his first major film. Im pretty sure english is his 1st language b/c he spoke it very clearly in the movie and also b/c he has very little lines in Japanese (in this movie). Anywayz, let me talk about the best part of the movie:
The first action scene is def the best. Kane and his partner go into this club and try to break up a drug deal going down. His partner begins to shoot in a john woo fashion while Kane confronts a couple of goons in a hallway. What ensues is an awesome series of arm deflections and my favorite part: a leeping spin kick that takes out guys on either side of Kane. Its so cool that you will be rewinding it over and over again. The second awesome fight is in another hallway but a little bigger than the one near the beg of the movie. Kane begins by going around a corner and throws 2 knives (in a nice slo mo) and just annihilates the baddies. The last kick he does is pretty cool since you think he is going to do a spin kick.........but i will let u see it for yourself.
HOnestly, i wasnt to thrilled with the UFC style fights partly b/c they involve aged super kicker Ken Lo who although isnt as good as he was in legend of drunken master, he still manages to play a sufficient and believable bad guy. The last fight scene is pretty unique as Kane and the head drug guy square off using sledgehammers. Awesome. Anywayz, Kane Kosugi will be the next big star. I just hope he doesnt start doing hollywoodized crap.

Hmm.. pretty bad.......2005-05-28

I do like Chinese/ Japanese action or kungfu movies in general. I picked up this one from Blockbuster expecting a so so martial arts movie but as it turned out I REALLY don't like it. Plot is an average B movie type. Acting is so bad it seems funny. Fighting scenes look like amateur work.

Hmm.. can't really find anything good to say about it.

Only rent it if you are okay with the worst of Van Dam movies.

DVD:

DVD